Prospectus Hit List for June 8

Hit List for June 7
Hit List for June 11Hit List updates are published Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting April 2, 2014. Data presented here is based on games through the day prior to publication.Teams are ordered based on Adjusted Hit List Factor, a computer generated number, and the author isn't responsible for the order of the teams.

37

21

33.6

34.9

34.3

.603

.583

59.4%

21.3%

80.7%

3.1%

14.6%

In a brutal game of one-upsmanship, the Dodgers countered the Phillies batting Ty Wigginton cleanup with Juan Rivera hitting third. The integrity of the game, not to mention the vision of thousands of fans, was compromised.

2

32

23

30.8

33.9

32.9

.589

.570

18.9%

20.9%

39.8%

-8.7%

3.9%

It has been noted elsewhere that yesterday's pitching matchup of R.A. Dickey versus Chien-Ming Wang might create snickers among the less mature. Let me assure you that at Hit List we're above that sort of thing. Now if Davey Johnson had brought in Kerry Wood, we'd have lost it, but short of that...

3

33

25

30.4

31.9

31.3

.546

.526

31.9%

22.0%

53.9%

1.2%

10.6%

Butterflies start as slimy eggs, grow into nasty caterpillars, which make those disgusting giant scab-like cocoons. But finally, after a life of utter repugnancy, a beautiful butterfly emerges, lives briefly, then dies. Barry Zitoís ERA+ since signing in San Francisco is 93. This year itís 118. His contract is up after next year.

4

32

25

29.8

28.9

30.0

.530

.550

24.8%

28.7%

53.5%

4.7%

-2.8%

David Price is under team control for three more seasons following this one, but he's only getting exponentially more expensive. Activate the rumor laser cannon!

5

31

25

31.0

31.0

30.5

.552

.571

52.4%

22.8%

75.2%

-3.9%

-1.6%

As a team, the Yankees are hitting .263/.336/.452, but with runners in scoring position they're hitting .220/.323/.403. The only possible conclusion is the Yankees can't handle New York. Roster purge!

6

31

25

29.9

27.9

27.8

.521

.501

35.4%

25.2%

60.6%

-3.1%

-4.3%

The Rockies bullpen is first in strikeouts. So why is this in the Reds section? Because the Reds are second, two strikeouts behind in 32 fewer innings.

7

33

25

35.3

37.8

36.9

.616

.635

89.4%

8.3%

97.6%

-1.6%

-0.8%

Yu Darvish has 44 walks in 72 2/3 innings. Maybe the comparisons to Daisuke Matsuzaka weren't so off after all.

8

32

25

32.0

32.6

32.8

.568

.587

60.6%

10.2%

70.9%

3.9%

-1.6%

The White Sox mascot is named Southpaw. He is green and right-handed.

9

32

25

28.1

27.6

28.6

.510

.530

2.8%

15.4%

18.1%

-2.4%

2.4%

The Orioles are tied for first place in the AL East. The Orioles are the only team in the division with a negative run differential. Hidden behind the standings bling the Orioles are still the Orioles.

10

32

25

32.1

30.1

30.1

.545

.525

53.1%

21.3%

74.4%

3.9%

7.5%

Brian McCann is hitting .248/.322/.410, which isn't good but is entirely attributable to my drafting him in a fantasy league. But don't worry, Braves fans, I'll probably trade him soon enough, as I don't know what I'm doing.

11

32

26

28.2

27.9

28.1

.501

.481

5.1%

9.1%

14.2%

4.7%

4.3%

First baseman Ike Davis is hitting .164/.237/.282 in 180 plate appearances. At this point the Mets are just playing him because "Ike" is an awesome name.

12

31

26

27.0

28.8

28.7

.507

.487

20.5%

21.7%

42.1%

-2.8%

-5.1%

When the Marlins are out of town, the home-run-spinny-dolphin-thingy is available for clothes drying and electricity generation.

13

30

26

25.9

28.3

28.5

.503

.523

23.2%

16.9%

40.2%

-9.1%

-1.6%

Derek Lowe had a 3.06 ERA despite a ridiculously low (get it?) 2.66 strikeouts per nine innings going into yesterday's game. So he struck out four in five innings and gave up seven runs. Sure. Of course.

14

30

27

31.5

29.9

30.4

.534

.554

3.1%

10.6%

13.8%

-0.4%

2.8%

In a scandal that rocked the entire country of Canada, hidden cameras revealed Brett Lawrie dirtying his uniform before the game.

15

29

27

25.2

23.0

23.3

.449

.429

1.6%

1.2%

2.8%

1.2%

1.2%

As a team, the Pirates' OBP is .276, which makes one wonder not so much how they've won the 29 games they've won, but how they've won one game.

16

30

28

35.0

35.7

34.3

.582

.563

52.4%

16.9%

69.3%

4.7%

-7.1%

Last year in Triple-A, Lance Lynn had 64 strikeouts in 75 innings. This year in 74 1/3 innings he has 74 strikeouts in the majors. It's not funny but it's impressive.

17

29

28

31.0

31.5

31.4

.539

.559

16.9%

33.9%

50.8%

4.3%

2.4%

In his first nine starts, Clay Buchholz gave up 45 runs in 49 1/3 innings. In his last three starts, Buchholz has given up four runs in 24 innings.

18

29

29

29.9

30.5

30.2

.516

.536

10.6%

39.4%

50.0%

2.0%

0.8%

27

30

28.1

30.0

30.1

.505

.485

8.7%

11.4%

20.1%

-1.6%

-3.1%

If you had to list the things Willie Bloomquist does well, you might write "stolen bases," then adjust the font-size way up so it would fill the page. Well, this year he has four steals. He's been caught seven times.

20

26

31

26.2

26.4

25.8

.458

.438

10.6%

16.9%

27.6%

0.4%

-10.2%

With just one inside-the-park homer, Norichika Aoki had yet to hit a ball over the outfield wall in 128 plate appearances this season. So last night he hit two.

21

28

31

29.4

30.2

30.1

.499

.479

2.4%

10.6%

13.0%

-4.3%

-12.2%

This is your lineup: [picture of a piece of paper] This is your lineup with Ty Wigginton hitting cleanup: [video of fans jumping out of office buildings] Any questions?

22

24

31

24.8

24.7

24.8

.447

.466

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.8%

-0.4%

The Royals may yet win another World Series but, because most of today's Royals fans will not have forced the team on their grandkids, nobody will care when it happens.

23

26

31

26.7

26.6

26.8

.465

.485

16.1%

12.2%

28.3%

3.9%

0.4%

The Tigers started 9-3 with a +18 run differential. Since then, they're 17-28 with a -35 run differential. Jim Leyland is going to skip cigarettes and go straight to the old reliable: tobacco bath!

24

26

32

26.5

23.5

24.1

.432

.451

0.0%

1.6%

1.6%

-0.4%

1.6%

How desperate are the A's? Brandon Moss, who failed out of the Red Sox, Pirates, and Phillies organizations over the last four seasons, started at first base and batted seventh. Of course he homered.

25

24

32

26.1

22.2

21.6

.420

.400

0.0%

1.6%

1.6%

1.2%

0.0%

I hate it when I get a speeding ticket and then a few years later they raise the speed limit on that road so what I got fined for is now legal. The Rockies are 24-32. This will put them solidly in the playoffs in 2052.

26

24

33

25.8

24.5

25.1

.436

.416

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Jed Lowrie has played in 49 games for Houston and is hitting .288/.370/.511. This is about the time he gets bit by the rare semi-poisonous toad or contracts a nasal-hair-eating virus.

27

26

33

29.3

27.0

27.1

.463

.483

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.4%

-1.6%

Hector Noesi gives up five more runs per game on the road than at home. Let's crank the old Narrative Machine to life and... "probably a partier; needs more veteran presence." Excellent. Thanks, Narrative Machine!

28

22

34

20.9

22.1

21.9

.388

.407

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Twins starters have an ERA over six, which is also how many beers you'd need to drink to watch a Twins starter battle unsuccessfully through five innings.

29

19

38

22.9

23.6

24.0

.392

.373

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The Cubs traded for Matt Garza two offseasons ago to be the ace of a playoff team. Since Garza arrived, the team is 90-129. There's a broken abacus joke in there somewhere.

30

19

39

21.2

21.8

22.5

.364

.346

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Carlos Quentin entered last night's game as a pinch-hitter, took the first pitch, a curveball, off his back foot, and went to first. That's how Carlos Quentin pinch-hit without having an at-bat

I have to tell you this Matthew. There is NOTHING I enjoy reading more than I do this series. A brief add-on - I LOVE to read. I hardly ever watch TV any more (less than 20 hours per year). My entertainment - other than my wife and son - is reading and I am very serious - NOTHING tops this. In a very few words you inform and make me laugh. This is what quality writing should be. THANK YOU!

I'll be traveling over the next couple weeks with my family and the excellent Jason Wojciechowski will be taking over for me on an interim basis. If his first effort is any indication (it is) you won't miss me.